Historically, transit systems such as local bus systems utilize scheduled routes to pick up and drop off passengers throughout the day. Passengers utilizing the transit systems are not conventially apprised as to the arrival time, departure time, and other information relating to the individual vehicle on the route or the transit system as a whole. In order to accommodate the delivery of such information, information systems have been deployed and distributed along the routes. The information systems typically include an information display providing a schedule of when a bus or other transit vehicle should be arriving. Many of these transit information systems may be static systems in which a schedule is not updated for real time events such as delays. However, other information systems are used in which the schedule information that is provided to a potential passenger is updated periodically and/or in real time.
In the case that the transit information is updated periodically and/or in real time, a centralized information system may be used for communicating certain types of information to the plurality of information displays distributed about the transit service area.
Because it is advantageous for transit information displays to be flexible, that is to display information in a manner appropriate to the site and containing information relating to the site at which the information display is installed, there is a need for a system in which the appropriate information may be communicated to a specific transit information display. Further, there is a need for a system which allows a user to easily configure parameters relating to the transit information display and relating to the information to be displayed on the information display. Further, there is a need for a transit information display system that stores configuration information at each of the plurality of transit information displays distributed throughout the system in a flash memory without necessitating recompiling of an information receiving program running at the transit information display.
It would be desirable to provide a system and/or method that provides one or more of these or other advantageous features. Other features and advantages will be made apparent from the present specification. The teachings disclosed extend to those embodiments which fall within the scope of the appended claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the aforementioned needs.
An exemplary embodiment relates to a time division multiple access (TDMA) based transit information display communications system having an information display. The information display includes an electronic display area, a microcontroller supported by the information display and coupled to the display. The information display also includes a radio frequency receiver coupled to the microcontroller and a memory coupled to the microcontroller. Further, the information display includes a program running on the microcontroller, the program being stored in the memory, the program being configured to display data on the display according to configuration data including an information display identification (ID) and the number of lines in the display.
Another exemplary embodiment relates to a transit information system including a central controller, a radio frequency transmitter in communication with the central controller, and a transit information display including. The transit information display includes a radio frequency receiver, a microcontroller, a memory coupled to the microcontroller, and a program stored in the memory and accessing configuration data. The configuration data includes an information display identification (ID) and the number of lines in the display.
Yet another exemplary embodiment relates to a transit information system including a central controller, a radio frequency transmitter in communication with the central controller, and a transit information display including. The transit information display includes a radio frequency receiver, a microcontroller, and a memory coupled to the microcontroller. Further, the transit information display includes a program stored in the memory and accessing configuration data. The configuration data includes an information display identification (ID) and the number of lines in the display. The configuration data is modifiable without requiring recompiling of the program.
Alternative exemplary embodiments relate to other features and combination of features as may be generally recited in the claims.